Michigan

Muskegon Heights Academy sets the tone early in 68-43 win over New Buffalo in Class C boys basketbal regional final

Muskegon Heights Academy's Eddie Tornes, shown in a game against Muskegon Catholic Central this season, led the Tigers with 20 points in their Class C regional finals win over New Buffalo. (Madelyn Hastings | MLive.com file)

BRIDGMAN, MI – Muskegon Heights Academy hit New Buffalo early and often in its 68-43 win in a Class C boys basketball regional final Wednesday at Bridgman.

Muskegon Heights opened the game on an 11-4 run, spurred by a series of forced turnovers and fast breaks that turned into easy points for the Tigers.

Muskegon Heights (20-3) finished the first quarter with a 22-8 lead, with 6-foot-1 Eddrick Tornes scoring 11 of his team-high 20 points. Tornes also recorded nine rebounds and three assists.

"We wanted to come out early on them," Muskegon Heights coach Dalrecus Stewart said. "We did not want them to get comfortable shooting the ball. They are here for a reason. They are a really good team that is well-coached, and they are from down the road so they have their fans here."

Muskegon Heights continued to control the game with its high-pressure defense and level of physicality that New Buffalo had not encountered this season.

"We did not want them to get it to where they can shoot really well," Stewart said. "We know that they are a very good shooting team. So we tried to play with a quick tempo and overplay them on the 3-point shot, because we know what they are capable of from the perimeter."

It is Muskegon Heights' seventh regional title and third since 2011. The Tigers will face the winner between Hillsdale and Vermontville Maple Valley in the state quarterfinals at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 18 at Vicksburg. The Hillsdale-Maple Valley regional game was postponed to Thursday.

Muskegon Heights' Aaron Sydnor followed with 13 points and nine steals, while Marquis Gresham had 12 points and 11 rebounds and James Doxey scored 11 points.

With a significant size advantage over New Buffalo (16-8), Muskegon Heights was able to control the ball in the post and have a sizable rebounding edge.

"We have played a lot of aggressive teams," Stewart said. "Typically, we don't have the size advantage. But after the schedule we have had this year, we are starting to learn how to play a physical game."

Muskegon Heights led 30-16 at halftime and extended its lead to 49-27 after the third.

"The key to the game was when we started to come back in the third," New Buffalo coach Randy Mast said. "We got it down to 11 points, but we just couldn't get anything going. We just looked like deer in headlights at the start.

"Muskegon Heights is by far the most physical team we have played all year. Their big guy (Gresham) is a real horse. But it is still a great learning experience. They were a little intimidating at the start, and that threw us off shooting wise."

Marques Artz led New Buffalo with 19 points and four steals, and Elisha Dryden had 16 points for the Bison, who were looking to their outside shooting to get back into the game.

New Buffalo will return all of its starters next season and will only lose one senior.

"We were hoping for a conference title this year, maybe a district," Mast said. "But looking at this team, I thought we were a year away. But after the West Michigan Lutheran game, we started to come out and play great defense, and that is when I felt we could make a run."